The bill marks the first time that Congress has approved legislation that prohibits the construction of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq and prohibits U.S. control over Iraqi oil. These minimum steps could help abate the Sunni insurgency movement and U.S. occupation in Iraq.

Also included in the Defense Appropriations Act were $100 million for the Bureau of Land Management and $100 million to the Forest Service for wildfire suppression. The bill also includes funding for several Oregon projects.

The first project funded is the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), a collaboration among government, industry and higher education that is located on the campuses of Oregon’s major research universities: Oregon State University, Portland State University and the University of Oregon. ONAMI’s Safer Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Initiative, which received $2.3 million, will develop materials and manufacturing methods that simultaneously meet the military's need for high performance materials, protect human health and minimize harm to the environment. ONAMI's Miniature Tactical Energy Systems Development Initiative received $1 million. It has a wide range of military applications, including development of portable power systems for use by military personnel in the field for water purification and battery power. ONAMI's Nanoelectronics and Nanometrology Initiative, which received $2.5 million, conducts research into defense-related nanoscale electronic applications such as high density memories on silicon integrated circuits. All three of these projects received federal funding in fiscal year 2006.

Also included in the legislation is $2.5 million to continue research under the Brain, Biology and Machine Initiative at the University of Oregon. This program addresses fundamental questions about how humans think, learn and create, including questions about the range of brain processes that give rise to human cognition and the biological foundations of neurological disorders. Advances in cognitive neuroscience are helping to optimize the training and performance of military personnel, including the ability to function in stressful and complex environments. The funding in this bill will add to the over $13 million DeFazio has secured to date for the Brain, Biology and Machine Initiative.

The Northwest Manufacturing Initiative received $2.5 million in the bill. The purpose of this industry-led statewide initiative is to make the Northwest region's diverse, value-added manufacturing sector a stronger contributor to the nation's defense and national security. The funding will be used for research and development to enhance the reliability, cost-effectiveness and environmental performance of products designed for the defense marketplace and to help improve the manufacturing capacity of small and medium-sized companies.

Also funded was the Metals Affordability Initiative (MAI) for $2.3 million. MAI programs benefit a consortium of companies, including Oremet and Pacific Cast Technologies in Oregon, that produce metal by helping reduce costs, increasing industry and government collaboration, leveraging technical resources and financial investment, and expediting development of new defense technologies.

Next Step: The Senate and the House of Representatives each passed a version of the Department of Defense Appropriations bill earlier this year. A conference committee worked out the differences between the two bills and drafted a final bill, which passed the House today. The legislation must pass the Senate one more time before it can be sent to the president to be signed into law.